The question, “what jobs can math majors get” often comes up in my career counseling sessions with juniors and seniors. And for good reason, too! The obvious answer is anything! That’s because there are many different jobs that you can hold with a math degree. There are also many different types of jobs within those jibs as well. One type of job that I think is extremely cool is working as an actuary.
There are a lot of jobs that you can get with a math degree. For example, if you like working with numbers and data, you might want to consider becoming an accountant or a financial analyst. If you spend your time thinking about how things work, you might enjoy becoming an engineer or a computer scientist.
You could also choose to go into business management or even teaching at the high school or college level.
Whatever area of math appeals to you most, there are plenty of jobs out there for math majors!
What jobs can math majors get
Introduction
If you’re a math whiz or capital-M Mathlete, you might think that the only career options available to you are teaching, accounting, or working at an insurance company. Not true! Although there are certain jobs in which it’s virtually impossible to get hired without a degree in mathematics (mathematician, for example), there are actually plenty of other careers that require and even reward mathematical knowledge.
Actuary
If you enjoy the study of mathematics and statistics, then a career as an actuary might be for you. An actuary uses mathematical concepts to predict risk and uncertainty in order to assess the probability that an insurance company will have to pay out on claims. Actuaries must be able to analyze complex data sets and apply advanced statistical techniques, such as regression analysis and predictive modeling.
Actuaries work in many industries outside of the insurance industry itself—they can be found in other financial sectors such as banking or investment management, or even in non-financial industries like healthcare or real estate. They’re also among the highest paid professionals with a bachelor’s degree: according to PayScale’s latest report on starting salaries by degree major (from colleges that graduated at least 50 students), actuaries earn an average base salary of $68K right out of school!
Mathematician
The field of mathematics is vast and complex, but mathematicians work in many different fields. They are employed by universities, private companies and government agencies.
Mathematicians may perform research in an area of interest to them or they could work as consultants who apply the principles of mathematics to a specific problem. For example, they might analyze data from security cameras at a gas station to determine whether there was enough light for the cameras to capture an image of their potential suspect’s face.
Statistician
- A statistician is someone who works with data and uses mathematical concepts to make sense of it.
- Statisticians can find jobs in government, research, and business.
- There are a variety of different jobs that statisticians do depending on the type of project they are working on.
Financial Analyst
As a financial analyst, you’ll perform tasks that help companies make better decisions about their finances. For example, if you’re working for a company that wants to make an investment in some kind of new product or service, your job will be to analyze all the different possibilities and calculate how much money they could potentially make. You’ll also have to investigate how much money they could lose if they don’t go through with the investment at all. Some of these things might involve more math than others—but as long as you’ve got strong skills in algebra and geometry, plus some experience with calculus and statistics (and maybe even accounting!), then this could be a great fit for you!
To become a financial analyst, most employers require at least an undergraduate degree in finance or business administration; however, many schools offer master’s degrees for people who want to advance further into this field over time (or whose original degree wasn’t related). It’s also important to note that because most financial analysts work on projects together as part of teams (rather than individually), communication skills are vital here too: You’ll need them not only when communicating with coworkers but also when presenting findings back outwards into management circles.”
Operations Research Analyst
Operations research analysts use math and statistics to solve problems in business, such as how to make the most efficient use of resources, how to best deliver services to customers, and how to reduce costs.
To become an operations research analyst you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or a related field with strong statistics courses. Beyond that, you should be familiar with computer programming software and have good communication skills.
The median annual wage for these professionals was $83,910 in 2016 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Data Scientist and Analytics Professional
Data scientist and analytics professional are two of the most popular jobs for math majors. Both require strong math skills, but they differ in their focus: data scientists work with large sets of complex data to find patterns and make predictions; analytics professionals use statistics to identify trends, make recommendations, and solve problems.
For example, you can use your knowledge of probability to create a predictive model that calculates the odds that an online shopper will buy an item based on its price or other factors. As a data scientist or analyst at a marketing firm, you might use this model as part of a campaign aimed at increasing sales among potential buyers who have yet to purchase anything from your client’s store. You would also provide insights into how best to target these users so they’ll see ads relevant to what they want—and when they’re most likely to respond.
A degree in mathematics is the foundation for both careers—it provides you with crucial problem-solving skills that help you analyze problems in real time using data sets much larger than those typically covered by business courses (think millions vs thousands). In addition, it offers insight into quantitative methods such as regression analysis and linear algebra needed for developing predictive models from raw data sets before running them through machine learning algorithms like neural networks or decision trees
There are jobs that combine math and science.
Math majors can get jobs in many fields, including:
- Biology
- Economics
- Engineering
- Finance and accounting
- Geography and cartography
There are lots of exciting opportunities out there for math majors who want to combine their skills with a career in science. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that between 2016 and 2026, jobs requiring a degree in mathematics will grow by 15%.[1] In addition to the above industries, you might also consider pursuing positions at software companies or data analytics firms.
Conclusion
With a degree in mathematics, you will be able to get a job in any field that requires critical thinking. The combination of science and math is an attractive skill set for many companies and industries. To learn more about what jobs are available to you after graduation, check out this article on math careers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
